Economy in Brief

The U.S. Treasury Department reported that the federal government ran a record $214.3 billion budget surplus during April 2018. That compared to a $182.4 billion surplus during April 2017. The higher surplus was driven, in part, by [...]

Japan’s economy watchers index, while improving, continues to hover below the neutral reading of 50 with a reading of 49.0 in April. As such, the index continues to indicate contraction. Despite the gain, the economy watchers April [...]

Initial unemployment insurance claims were steady w/w at 211,000 (-11.6% y/y) in the week ending May 5. Claims were expected to rise to 219,000 in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The four-week moving average declined to 216,000, [...]

Consumer prices increased 0.2% (2.5% y/y) during April following a 0.1% March slip. A 0.3% increase had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The CPI excluding food & energy improved 0.1% (2.1% y/y) after two months [...]

Wholesale trade inventories increased 0.3% (5.8 y/y) during March following a 0.9% February gain, revised from 1.0%. The March rise matched the increase reported in the advance report released on April 26 and also was below market [...]

Manufacturing industrial output among eight early reporting EMU members (plus Sweden and Norway) showed only two declines in the group in March. IP edged lower by 0.1% in the Netherlands and Norway. Everywhere else in the table there [...]

The headline Final Demand Producer Price Index using new methodology edged 0.1% higher (2.6% y/y) during April following an unrevised 0.3% rise in March. A 0.2% increase had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The [...]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the total job openings rate increased to 4.2% in March from an unrevised 3.9% in February. (The job openings rate is the job openings level as a percent of total employment plus the job [...]